Door-check.



Patented July 3|, I900.

P. A. FRANKS.

D 0 0 B C H E C K (Application filed. Mar. 22. 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNETEED STATES f-P TENT OFFICE,

PETER RANKs, or GALION, onto, AssIe oRoF 'rwo-frHIRDs To HonRAoE HPLININGER AND FRANK A. SMITH, or SAME PLACE;

ZPQ T 'HF SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l stens No. 54,723, dated July 31, 1900.

Application filed March 22, 190d. SerlaINO- 9,72 3. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. FRANKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gal-,

ion, in the county of Crawford and Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful Door Check, ofwhich the following is a specifica tion.

' My invention relates to a novel door-check and my object isto providea simple, ingeni-H ous, and inexpensive device which will per mit a door to be opened to a predetermined extent and lock it against further movement, except in the event of a person located within the apartment desiring to release the door ontirely.

It is frequently desirable, particularly in isolated districts, to provide some means for securely locking adoor against all movement except such as will enable the inmate of a house to communicate with and inspecta per son desiring. admittance, audit is to'eifect this end that I have invented'the-"device, to be hereinafter described ,for the accomplishment of the objects stated. 7

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a door-casing and door, the latter being slightly opened and retained against further movement by my improved door-check, the position of the latter when not in use being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on asomewhat-larger scale, through like portions of a door and casing equipped with my device, certain parts of which are broken away. for the purpose of illustrating interior parts and the partiallyopened position of the door being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking-plate, and Fig. 4: is a detail View of a modified form of swivel connection for the rear end of the plunger-rod.

Referring to the figures of reference indicating corresponding parts in the several views, 1 indicates a portion of a door-casing, and 2 is a portion of a door constructed and related to the casing in the ordinary manner.

3 indicates a headed locking stud extend ing from a stud-plate 4, screwed or otherwise secured upon the inner face of the door adjacent to its free edge and which is designed to be engaged by the locking=plate 5 of the extensible door check, comprehending the preferred embodiment of my invention. The locking-plate 5 may be of any suitable form, but is preferably provided with a key-slot 6, the opposite ends of which are of just sufficient size'toreceivethe head or the shank of the locking-stud 3. This plate is designed to be pivotally connected to a cylindricalcasing 7as,for instance,by means of a pintle 8, passing transversely through the pair of parallel ears 9, extending from the rear end of the locking-plate and straddling a terminal lug 10, through which the pintle 8 alsopasses.

Within the casing 7 is located a spring-resisted plunger or piston 11, from which extends axiallya plunger rod 1 2, piercing the rearend of the casing and pivotally connected at its rear extremity, as by a pintle 13, to a swiveled stud 14,1'otatably mounted "in a stud-plate 15, screwed orotherwise secured to the door-casing 1, preferably in substantially the. horizontal plane of the locking- ;plate 4. Any suitable means for accommodating the rotary movement of the swiveled stud 14 may be provided; butI prefer to form said stud with a reduced shank 16, passing through an aperture 17 in the plate 15 and provided with a terminal head 18 of greater diameter than the opening 17 and located within a recess 19, formed in the face of the plate 15 opposed to the casing.

Relative longitudinal movement of the plunger-rod and cylindrical casing 7, which parts constitute members of the extensible door-check, is resisted by a spiral spring 20, encircling the plunger-rod 12 within the easing 7 and bearing at its opposite ends against the opposed faces of the plunger and the rear end of the casing. It will now appear that when the locking-plate is in engagement with the locking-stud the energy of the spring 20 will tend to telescope or contract the extensible members of the check, thus tending to retain the door in its closed position. If now the occupant of the room desires to open the door sufficiently to permit inspection of and;

communication with a person outside vwithout rendering it possible for'th'edoor-to be forced open to a greater extent, the door is swung back in the ordinary manner against the resistance of the spring 20, which opposes the extension of the check as the door is opened. As soon, however, as :the plunger has reached the limit of its stroke the door will be securely locked against further inward movement, and as soon as released the door will. be swung closed by the action of the spring 20 as the latter restores the extensible members7 and 10 to their normal positions. It will be observed that if it is desired to open the door wide when the check is in position to prevent such movement the locking-plate may be drawn longitudinally until the large end of the key-slot 6 can be drawn over the head of the locking-stem 3. When so released, the entire device will drop toan unobtrusive vertical position upon the doorcasing, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, this position being made pos sible by reason of the mounting of the plunger-rod upon a swiveled stud having a horizontal axis.

, a modified form of swivel connection for the ing-plate being in that event secured to one rear end of the plunger-rod, which form contemplates the employment of a fixed headed stud 21, secured to the door-casing by a threaded shank 22and designed to rotatably engage a collar 23, provided with one or more cars 24, designed to be pierced by the pivot 13, passed through the end of the plunger rod.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have produced a simple, inexpensive, and ingenious door-cheek which will efiectually accomplish the several objects hereinbefore enumerated; but, while the present embodi-- ment of myinvention appears to be prefer able, I do not desire to be limited to the structural details defined, as it is obvious that many changes, modifications, and variations might be efiected without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the extensibility of the'oheck might be obtained by the-employment of any number of 'relatively movable sections; the plunger rod might be constructed in two parts, extending from the opposite ends of the casing and retained by an intermediate spring, the lock of said rods; the spring might be eliminated altogether anda pneumatic resistance sub- 5o stituted therefor; the relation of the casing and plungenrod might be reversed, or the casing 7 might be countersunk in the doorjamb. In fact, the possibilities of structural rearrangement are practically limitless, and I therefore reserve the right to effect such reorganization of the entire device or'any part thereof asrmay be properly embraced within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a swiveled supporting member, of an extensible door-check pivotally connected at one end to said member, and locking means carried at the opposite end of the check.

2. The combination with a swiveled supporting member, of an extensible door-check pivotally connected at one end thereto, and a slotted locking-plate pivoted at the oppo= site end of the door-check.

3. The combination with a fixed member, as for instance, a door-casing, of a movable member, as for instance, a door, a swiveled stud extending from said fixed member, a

headed locking-stud extending from the movable member, an inflexible extensible doorchec-k pivotally connected at one end to the swiveled stud, and a slotted locking-plate pivotally connected at the opposite end of 1 said check and designed for engagement with the locking stud.

4. The combination with an apertu red studplate, of a swiveled stud carried thereby, a plunger-rod pivoted to said stud by a pintle extending transversely therethrough, a plunger on the plunger-rod,.a cylindrical casing inclosing the plunger, a spring encircling the plunger-rod within the casing and bearing at its opposite ends againstthe end of the casing and the plunger, a locking-plate pivotally carried at the free end of the cylindrical casing and provided with a key-slot, and a headed locking-stud designed to be engagedby the locking-plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. I

' PETER A. FRANKS.

W'itnesses:

- WM. S. MOKIBBEN, J. W. OoUL'rER. 

